The Evolution of France’s Foreign and Domestic Policy (1946-1958)

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of the evolution of the foreign and domestic policies of France in the post-war period. The position of heads of leading states during the Yalta Conference and its implications for France are studied. The general situation in France in the post-war period and the struggle of various political forces are investigated. The participation of France in the founding of the UN, the status of a permanent member of the UN Security Council and the veto is disclosed. The concept of the military policy of General C. de Gaulle is highlighted, which was a consistent doctrine and was already formed in 1949-1955. The article analyzes the Dunkirk French-British agreement on alliance and mutual assistance of March 4, 1947. The factor of the American presence in France and the policy of US assistance to France are considered. The approaches of French politicians to the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty are analyzed. The collapse of the French colonial empire and the concentration of its foreign policy strategy on the development of purely European structures are investigated. It is proved that the potential of France, despite its difficult post-war socio-economic situation, prompted the Allies to take into account its position in world space. However, on the other hand, France’s dependence on assistance, in particular, the Marshall Plan, made it impossible to exclude France from participating in the geopolitical confrontation, which gave rise to the Cold War and made clear its choice. It is summarized that the phenomenon of the rapid restoration of France’s potential after the World War ІІ, the successful spread of “gaullism” are very indicative examples of the significant success of French diplomacy and the role of the individual in history, which is capable of achieving unexpected results. Although in the twentieth century. the prestige of the French language as a language of diplomacy was gradually declining, the maneuvering of France in the setting up of a bipolar world provided this country with a particularly unique place in world politics.